The History of Kan’eiji and Ueno Park

Kaizandō Hall, where Ryōgen (912–985), the eighteenth abbot of the Tendai school, and Kan’eiji founder Tenkai (1536–1643) are enshrined.

Kiyomizu Kannondō, built on a slope near Shinobazu Pond, and the famous Tsuki no Matsu “moon pine,” whose trunk, trained into a circular shape, frames the Bentendō.

The Bentendō, built on an island in the pond, was originally reached by boat. Due to the large crowds wishing to worship there, a bridge providing access was built later.

The interior of the Konponchūdō. In keeping with the belief that all creatures are equal, the Buddha’s gaze meets the eyes of worshippers.

This plaque at the Konponchūdō displays the script of Emperor Higashiyama (r. 1687–1709). By coincidence, a huge conflagration broke out in Edo the day the plaque arrived from Kyoto.

A gate bearing the plaque of the fifth Tokugawa shōgun Tsunayoshi, which survived nineteenth-century civil conflict and wartime air raids. At the rear to the left, the building housing the Tokugawa mortuary tablets is visible.

The tranquil atmosphere of the path leading to the Tokugawa tombs belies their location in bustling Tokyo.

The copper pagoda-shaped tomb of Tsunayoshi. The tombs of the six Tokugawa shōguns resting at Kan’eiji came through wartime fire bombings unscathed.

The Aoi no Ma, where Yoshimune lived after he was stripped of his title of shōgun. At the time, this structure was part of Kan’eiji subsidiary temple Daijiin.

This map of Tōeizan in the Aoi no Ma shows the huge area covered by the temple precincts. In the Edo period, Daijiin occupied the site of Kan’eiji’s present-day main hall.

This covered cistern for ablutions was constructed in the Edo-period mausoleum style. The stone wall on the right, which encircles the shōguns’ tombs, was erected by Shibusawa Eiichi and statesman and naval engineer Katsu Kaishū (1823–99).

This structure, now Kan’eiji’s main hall, was part of the Kita-in temple complex in Kawagoe, where Tenkai had earlier served as chief priest. It was relocated to Ueno to replace the original main hall.

Only the Great Buddha’s face remains today, surrounded by ema votive placards left by students hoping for exam success. Many return to hang placards with a cherry blossom motif once their prayers are answered.

The Bentendō in Shinobazu Pond, viewed through the trunk of the Tsuki no Matsu at Kiyomizu Kannondō.

A statue of Tenkai stands next to Shinkyō, the bridge marking the entrance to the temple Rinnōji in Nikkō.